Permanently assembled safety razor



mm 13, 1%? A. CHAVEZ 3,324,546

PEHMANENTLY ASSEMBLED SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 9, 1965 j/VVEJV'I'QR Mass1% Wm VEZU 3,324,546 PERMANENTLY ASSEMBLED SAFETY RAZOR Jose A. (Thavez,12892 Adams St., Garden Grove, Calif. 92641 Filed Feb. 9, 1965, Ser. No.431,378 Qlaims. (til. 30-67) This invention relates to safety razors andmore particularly to an improved permanently assembled form thereof.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a safety razorassembly comprising a handle and a holding means mounted thereon for atype of double-edge razor blade commercially available therefor which ispermanently assembled with the blade and adapted thereby for a limiteduse and subsequent disposal as a unit, in which the blade holding meansis composed of few parts, of simple design and capable of economicalproduction, in which the parts are adapted for snap-in permanentassembly with each other, and in which the handle means is designed tobe available as a storage means for a limited supply of shaving cream orother article.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additionalobjects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention residesin the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts described, by way of example, in the following specification of apresently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and inwhich drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a safety razor embodying the presentinvention with portions thereof broken away to show detail-s of interiorconstruction,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, a portion ofthe handle component being shown in full lines.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the head portion of therazor with portions broken away to show interior construction, and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the parts of the razor prior to assemblywith the blade, the blade being also shown as a component of theexploded view.

Referring to the drawings, the blade B is a well-known form ofdouble-edge safety razor blade made of resilient steel and having amedial longitudinally extending slot S extending therethrough andincluding a widened center portion C and other widened portions E, Eadjacent the opposite ends of the slot for reception of bladepositioning instrumentalities of the various forms of razors in whichthis particular form of blade is adapted for use. Additionally, thecorners of the blade are formed as recesses -R affording clearance forconfining means on the razor assembly.

The blade holding means of the present invention comprises a handle l, ablade supporting base 2, and a blade clamp 3, all of said parts beingformed of appropriately molded plastic and being arranged fornon-releasing snap-in interlocking assembly with each other and with theblade B as will now be explained.

The handle ll comprises an elongated, hollow, slightly frusto-conicalhand grip portion 4 open at the large end thereof and having theopposite end closed by an integrally formed end wall portion 5 whichincludes on the outer surface thereof diametrically oppositely extendingribs 6, 6 and an axially disposed hollow post portion 7 which terminatesin a closed end portion 8 of frusto-conical configuration with thesmaller end thereof constituting the distal end of said post portion andwith Patented June H3, 1967 the larger end 8 of said frusto-conical endbeing of slightly larger diameter than the body portion of said postportion and combining therewith to form an annular ledge 9 spaced fromthe surface of the end wall 5. The exterior of the handle may beornamented in any desirable manner or provided with a suitable non-slipsurface as suggested by the vertically extending grooves thereon.

The blade base 2 is a plastic molding of generally rectangularconfiguration in plan and of slightly greater length and width than theblade B. It is provided with a central hole It) extending therethroughwhich is of greater diameter than the larger diameter portion 8 of thepost end 8 and in which the post portion 7 of the handle is received.The under face of the blade base is provided with grooves 11, 11 whichare complementary to and receive the ribs 6, 6 to hold the blade baseagainst rotative movement on the handle and to hold it centered withrespect to the post 7.

The upper face 12 of the blade base 2 is convexly curved as viewed inend elevation and inwardly from each side edge thereof is provided withone each of a pair of parallel ribs 13, 13 which are spaced apart fromeach other a distance slightly less than the width of the blade B andare of a height above the top surface of the base to position the bladeedges therefrom at the correct spacing to permit the curved side edges14, 14 of the base top surface to serve as guard means to position .theblade edges correctly with respect to the skin surface when in use andalso to protect the blade edges from contact with hard surfaces andbeing dulled thereby. The blade base adjacent the ends thereof isfurther provided with holes 15, 15 extending therethrough parallel tothe hole 10 and disposed in the medial longitudinal line of the base 2,said holes being spaced from the hole 10 a distance equal to thedistance between the center widened portion C and the other widenedportions E, E in the blade. At each end, the blade base 2 is providedwith a pair of slots 16, 16, the pairs being spaced from each other adistance which is only slightly greater than the distance longitudinallyof .the blade between the recesses R thereof.

The blade clamp 3 comprises a plastic molding of rectangularconfiguration as viewed in plan, of the same length as the base 2 but ofslightly lesser width than the width of the blade B. In transverse crosssection (see FIGS. 2 and 3) it is of modified crescent shape and theinner or blade engaging surface 17 thereof is of such convex curvaturethat when pressed into blade engaging position, the side edges l8, 18thereof engage the blade outwardly of the ribs 13, 113, and press themtoward the blade base, causing the blade to assume an archedconfiguration as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The said inner face of theclamp member 3 is further provided with a pair of hollow post elements19, 19 formed integrally there with and which are disposed so as to passthrough the widened slot portions E, E of the blade and thence throughthe holes 15, 15 in the base 2. These post elements terminate in distalends of frusto-conical configuration which are disposed with the largerdiameters thereof forming ledges 20, 20 and the smaller diametersthereof forming the distal ends of said posts. The holes 15, 15 areslightly smaller than the larger diameter of the frustoconical endportions and the fact that the posts are hollow and the plastic materialslightly resilient, enables the post elements to be forced through theholes 15, 15 until the ledges 2t 20 extend beyond the opposite face ofthe blade base and expand to their normal diameter to permanently lockthe clamp element, the blade and the blade base together in a unit asbest shown in FIG. 3, the re action of the thus stressed blade servingconstantly to tend to move the base and clamp away from each other andserving to hold the parts in tight assembly. The clamp member 3 isfurther provided with depending lugs 21 at the corners which slidinglyengage the recesses 16 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The clamp member 3is further provided with a central hole 22 which is disposed inalignment with the center opening C in the blade and a hole in the bladebase 2, said hole 22 being slightly smaller in diameter than the largerdiameter of the frustoconical end 8 of the post 7. On pressing apreassembled unit comprising a base 2, a blade B and a clamp member 3onto the post 7, the frusto-conical end will yield inwardly while goingthrough the hole 22 and when the subassembly has been pressed on to saidpost to the point at which the ledge 9 extends above the outer surfaceof the clamp element 3, the post will expand to its normal positionpermanently locking the assembly in place on the handle. If desired, ofcourse, the base 2 can first be placed on the handle 1, the blade Bplaced on the base, and the clamp member 3 placed on the blade and theunit snapped together in a single operation. The preferred mode ofassembly is to invert the clamp element on a suitable holding surface,place a blade thereon, place the base element on the blade and theninsert the handle and by pressure downwardly on the handle effect thesnap-in engagement of the entire razor assembly. It is particu larly tobenoted that the clamp member and blade supporting base are heldtogether adjacent each end thereof and at the midlength thereof by therespective interengaging means thus permitting the use of extremelylight weight plastic parts of limited strength to be employed for theblade base and the clamping member without danger that the force exertedby the bowed, resilient blade would cause warping of those parts.

Thus there has been provided a safety razor assembly composed of fewparts of simple design which can be quickly assembled into a usablerazor for a single use and then be discarded. If desired, the hollowhandle can be employed to hold a package containing a supply of shavingcream sufficient for one or two shaves or for other materials. Ingeneral, razors of this type are intended to be packaged for dispensingby vending machines placed in washrooms in traffic terminals and likelocations for the convenience of travelers. It will be noted that thedesign is simple and that all of the parts lend themselves to economicalmolding procedures, wherefore, the various parts can be produced inquantity by injection molding and that the assembly of the parts intothe completed razors is such as to require only minimum skill, it beingnoted that the last described mode of assembly is one lending itself toassembly by machine means.

While in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed apresently preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not tobe deemed to be limited to the precise details of construction thusdisclosed by way of example and it will be understood that the inventionincludes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall comewithin the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a permanently assembled safety razor, a handle and a blade holdingmeans permanently assembled therewith by interengaging snap-in devices,said blade holding means comprising a blade supporting base and a bladeclamping member cooperating therewith to engage opposite sides of adouble edged, resilient razor blade and further having interengagingdevices adjacent each end thereof affording snap-in, permanent assemblyof said base and clamp member with a razor blade clamped therebetween;the portions of said base and clamping member which engage the bladebeing so shaped as to cause the blade to assume an arched form when saidbase and clamping member are permanently interengaged, said first-namedinterengaging devices additionally serving to clamp said base andclamping member together at a point intermediate said second-namedinterengaging devices.

2. A safety razor as claimed in claim 1 in which a component of saidfirst-named interengaging devices is carried by said handle and extendsthrough a complementary opening in one of the components of said bladeholding means and effects permanent snap-in intercngagement with theother component of said blade holding means.

3. A safety razor as claimed in claim 1 in which said first namedinterengaging devices includes a hollow post element on said handle andhaving a compressible circumferential ledge and in which said clampingelement and said blade supporting base includes aligned centrallydisposed holes extending therethrough for reception of said postelement, the one of said holes in said clamp element being of a diameterless than the major diameter of said ledge portion, and in which thematerial of which said post portion is formed is sufficiently resilientto allow said ledge to be radially compressed incident to passagethrough said hole and then to snap out into nonreleasable overlyingengagement on the top surface of said cap element.

4. A safety razor as claimed in claim 1 in which said clamp elementadjacent each end of the blade engaging surface thereof is provided withone each of a pair of hollow post elements each having a circumferentialledge adjacent to the distal end thereof, and in which said bladesupporting base is provided with a pair of holes extending therethroughcomplementary to said pair of post elements, each of said holes being ofslightly less diameter than the major diameter of said ledges, saidposts being formed of material which is sufficiently resilient to allowsaid ledges to be radially compressed incident to passage through saidholes and then to snap out into underlying, non-releasable engagement ofsaid ledges with said base and resultant permanent assembly of said baseand clamp element with each other.

5. A safety razor as claimed in claim 3 in which said handle and saidblade supporting base are provided with complementary interengagingsurfaces so disposed relative to the axial line of said hollow postelement as to prevent relative movement between said blade supportingbase and said handle about the axial line of said post.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,448 11/1914 Lawson 30-681,830,576 11/1931 Tornkvist 30-68 1,917,220 7/ 1933 Grothe 30-682,018,042 10/1935 Thompson 30-68 2,911,711 11/1959 Loughlin 30-323,070,883 1/1963 Grathwohl 30-32 3,079,685 3/1963 Schully 30-723,154,852 1l/1964 Westlake 30-51 FOREIGN PATENTS 870,960 1/ 1942 France.

905,581 3/1954 Germany.

613,247 11/1948 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

1. IN A PERMANENTLY ASSEMBLED SAFTETY RAZOR, A HANDLE AND A BLADEHOLDING MEANS PERMANENTLY ASSEMBLED THEREWITH BY INTERENGAGING SNAP-INDEVICES, SAID BLADE HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING A BLADE SUPPORTING BASE ANDA BLADE CLAMPING MEMBER COOPERATING THEREWITH TO ENGAGE OPPOSIDE SIDESOF A DOUBLE EDGED, RESILIENT RAZOR BLADE AND FURTHER HAVINGINTERENGAGING DEVICES ADJACENT EACH END THEREOF AFFORDING SANP-IN,PERMANENT ASSEMBLY OF SAID BASE AND CLAMP MEMBER WITH A RAZOR BLADECLAMPED THEREBETWEEN; THE PORTIONS OF SAID BASE AND CLAMPING MEMBERWHICH ENGAGE THE BLADE BEING SO SHAPED AS TO CAUSE THE BLADE TO ASSUMEAN ARCHED FROM WHEN SAID BASE AND CLAMPING MEMBER ARE PERMANENTLYINTERENGAGED, SAID FIRST-NAMED INTERENGAGING DEVICES ADDITIONALLYSERVING TO CLAMP SAID BASE AND CLAMPING MEMBER TOGETHER AT A POINTINTERMEDIATE SAID SECOND-NAMED INTERENGAGING DEVICES.